BGFCL to drill 2 more Titas wells to boost gas supply

Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited (BGFCL) is set to drill two new wells at Titas Gas Field in Brahmanbaria, aiming to add around 30 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd) to the national grid and reduce reliance on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The project is part of the government's plan to drill 150 wells to boost domestic gas production. The two wells, Titas-32 and Titas-33, are expected to supply gas primarily to fertiliser and power plants, helping meet the country's growing energy demand.

The project, titled Drilling of Two Appraisal-cum-Development Wells (Titas-32 and Titas-33) in Titas Gas Field, is scheduled to run from October 2026 to September 2029. Its estimated cost has been cut by Tk 40 crore to Tk 592 crore following a review of the proposed expenditure.

BGFCL, a subsidiary of Petrobangla and the country's largest state-owned gas producer, currently supplies around 480�"485 mmcfd of gas to the national grid from five of its six gas fields.

Titas is the company's largest producing field. Of the 28 wells drilled there, 23 are currently producing around 330 mmcfd, according to project documents.

A review of three-dimensional seismic surveys conducted between 2010 and 2012 by BGP Inc, a unit of China National Petroleum Corporation, recommended drilling 16 infill wells and one deep well at the field. Titas-32 and Titas-33 have been prioritised under the government's domestic gas development programme.

The two wells are expected to produce around 30 mmcfd of gas and 18 barrels of condensate per day. Over 10 years, their projected output stands at 100.74 billion cubic feet of gas and 60,884 barrels of condensate.

Of the revised project cost of Tk 592 crore, the government will provide Tk 414.40 crore as a loan, while BGFCL will contribute Tk 177.60 crore from its own resources.

The proposed expenditure is Tk 1.20 crore in fiscal year 2026�"27, Tk 95 crore in 2027�"28, Tk 290 crore in 2028�"29 and Tk 205.80 crore in 2029�"30.

Most of the work will be carried out by a foreign contractor under an integrated drilling arrangement covering drilling materials, third-party engineering services and rig foundation construction.

Project documents estimate the value of the gas and condensate output at Tk 339.07 crore at wellhead prices over 10 years. At consumer-level prices, the gas alone is valued at around Tk 6,523.97 crore.

Planning Commission officials said the project aligns with the government's election pledge to increase domestic gas production, the Five Year Strategic Framework for Reform and Development (2027�"2031) and Sustainable Development Goal 7, which focuses on affordable and reliable energy.